Bhubaneswar: Wrapped in Tricolor, the mortal remains of two Odia jawans-Havildar Prasanna Kumar Sahu (CRPF 61 Battalion) and Constable Manoj Kumar Behera, who were martyred in the deadly terrorist attack in Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir, reached Odisha today. A guard of honour was given to the slain soldiers after their bodies reached Bhubaneswar airport.

Prasanna Kumar Sahu hails from Shikhar village in Naugaon block of Jagatsinghpur district and Constable Manoj Kumar Behera belongs to Ratanpur village under Niali area of Cuttack district.

As many as 45 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Jawans including Prasanna and Manoj were killed after a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the bus carrying the jawans on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram, several leaders cutting across party lines along with other dignitaries, officials of Odisha Police and CRPF paid their tributes to the martyred jawans at the airport.

On the other hand, a pall of gloom descended upon Shikhar village in Naugaon block of Jagatsinghpur soon after Prasanna Sahu’s mortal remains reached the region. A large number of people thronged the village to show their solidarity to the family of the martyred jawan.

Earlier today, a rally was organised by the locals at Shikhar village to condemn the Pulwama terrorist attack.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government today enhanced the ex gratia to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 10 lakh which was earlier announced for the kin of the martyred jawans.

Later in the evening, mortal remains of Behera reached his native village Ratanpur in a huge procession during which people paid their last respects. Union Minister Jual Oram and Odisha Minister Pratap Jena also visited Behera’s native village to pay their tributes. Moreover, the district administration also handed over a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to the family members of the martyred jawan as ex-gratia earlier announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. A gun salute was accorded to martyred Behera at the village crematorium, following which the mortal remains consigned to flames. Behera’s younger brother lit the funeral pyre in presence of Union minister Jual Oram and minister Pratap Jena.

Till last reports came in, the mortal remains of the other martyred jawan Prasanna Kumar Sahu was on its way to his native village Shikhar in a huge procession and people in large numbers gathered on roadside to pay their last respects.